Butter-cutting machine.



PATENTED DEC. 3, 1907.

F. G. HODELL. BUTTER CUTTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 22, 1907.

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A TTORNE m5 PATENTED DEC. 3, 1907. F. G. HODBLL. BUTTER CUTTING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED MAY 22, 1907.

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. 7 IN 1 m w. mm H H F A TTORNE VS.

, To all it may concern:

machines, and the invention consists more UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE! FREDERIC G. HODELL, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

nu'r'rnnsou'r'rmo MACHINE.

Be it known that I, FREDERIO G. -HODELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certam'new and useful Improvements in Butter-Cutting Machines, and do declare that the following is a full, clear,- and exact description ofthe invention, which will enable others skilled in the artto which .it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to butter cutting .especially-in the adjustable cutting means em loyed in such machines, all substantially as eremafter described and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

Butter cutting machines of the'class to whlch my invention applies, employ movable. frames having cutting wires to cut a firkin or tub of butter into a definite number of rectangular prints or blocks, the size and weightthereof eing predetermined by prehmmary adjustment of the wires. Heretofore, such, adjustment was accom lished by (i both care and skill was required to space the different wlres equal distances a art, otherwise the slightest variation woul produce a corresponding variation in the weight of the prints or blocks. Furthermore, exact knowledge was required by the operator in setting the wires for difierent prints or blocks, and ac curate adjustment wasdiflicult and a slow My principal object is embodied in the means for a justably setting all the cutting wires simultaneously and proportionately great accuracy and without delay or special knowledge or skill onthe part of the operator.

Other objects are embodied in the means for individual adjustment of the wires irrespective of'the. universal adjustment for all the wires, and in the means for tightening and loosening the wires and for removably mounting them in, place on the adjusting means, and in other details as hereinafter more specifically described.

Inthe accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view or face elevation of one form of cuttin frame carrying cross wires and my Fig. 3 is an enlarged elevation and sectional .view of a corner portion and one side of the Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 22, 1907- Serial No. 375.026-

Patented Dec. 3, 1907.-

cutting frame and adjusting parts shown in Fig. 1; but viewed from the opposite or bottom side thereof. Fi 4 is a cross section of thecuttin frame bro en away at its center and brouggit together, with edge views of a cutting wire and its carrying members and screws. Fig. 5 is-a view of.a part of the frame and a cutting wire carrying member, and showin more particularly the scale or gage behin said member. Fig. 6- is a perspective view of the ends of a cutting wire, and Fig. 7 is a similar view of the screw hook for said wire. Fig. 8 is a erspective view of the cam plate used with t e screw stem in tightening the wires. Fi 9 is a side view of a horizontally swinging frame carrying my improved ad'usting means for the cutting wires, and w ch frame is also used in the same butter cutting machine em loyingthe cutting frame shown in Fi 1. ig. 10 is a detail view on line 10-10 9 showing the aduated scale on the frame in said figure ig. 11 is a perspective view of a mo ified form of tightening screw member for the:

wires.

The cutting frames usually employed in' butter cutting machines are two in number, and comprise .first, a vertically movable frame A, and second, a horizontally swingng or laterally movable frame B. Frame A is open and substantially square in outhne and 1s provided with cutting wires 2 stretched from side to side in parallel lines and other cross wires 3 at right angles thereto. Frame B is three sided and has a series of parallel wires 4 stretched at different elevations between its two vertical sides.

out the butter into prints of a definite width, breadth and length to make blocks of equal weight, usually one pound each. Butter varies somewhat in, density and again, butter dealers have different standar s in sizes although the weight of the prints. remain the same, say one pound, and to meet these dlfferent conditions the-cutting wires are adjustably mounted on said frames. My 1nvention contemplates the use of all the foregoing and I also provide each cuttingframe with mechanism adapted to give a universal adjustment to all the wires thereon and construct the same as follows:

Frame A is preferably angular in cross section with one fiat face uppermost and has bearing ieoes 6 upon its bottomat each corner which support four separate but similar Both frames A and Band the wires thereon are used to shafts longitudinally of the sides of the frame and in the angle thereof. A split bearing part 8 is also provided for each shaft 7 centrally between its ends and midway of the sides of the frame, and a collar 9 on each shaft occupies said split bearing and holds the shaft against end movement in either direction. A double set of tubular sleeves 10 and 11 are rotatably mounted u on each shaft 7, two at each side of centraPbearing part 8, and allsaid sleeves are locked upon said shaft to rotate jointly therewith-by nuts 12 threaded on the shafts and bearing against the outer ends of the two outer sleeves 11 and which thrust said sleeves against the inner sleeves and the inner end of sleeves 10 against collar 9. By loosening nuts 12, any one sleeve may be independently rotated to obtain an individual adjustment of the cutting wires in respect to an adjoining wire and which is done but once as a rule and thereafter remains unchanged.

Inner sleeves 10 arefexternally threaded and are rights and lefts to each other, as are outer sleeves 11,'but the threads of inner sleeves 10 are of the same pitch although not the same pitch as the threads on the outer sleeves 11 which have a coarser or quicker thread, say two to one. The object of this arrangement is to maintain'equal distancesbetween parallel wires during universal adjustments, and to that end wire mountings or supports 14 and 15 having threaded engagement with sleeves 10 and 11 respectively, are used in connection therewith. All said'mountings are substantially alike, except for the difierence in threads and more especially in that the pairs of mountings for each wire at op osite sides of frame A are slightly modifie to permit the use of supplementary-wire tightening and fastening means for one mounting of each set; Thus,

referring to Fig. 4, each mounting has similarv vertical projections 16 and 17 overlapping the outer and inner edges, respectively of frame A, and the inner projections 17 have hook ends 18.whi ch hold the cutting wires in fixed'alinement and a ainst pressure during cutting operations.' ut outer ortion 16 of the mounting at the right of Fig. 4, has a pair of inclined studs 18 at its top to detachably secure double loop or eye 19 of wire 2, and outer projection 16 of the mounting at the left of said figure hasa slotted upper end 20 within which screw stem 21 is removably seated and which also serves as a cam head for a rotatable cam lever 22 located at its outer face and which cam lever has a central 0 ening for screw stem 21 to pass freely t erethrough and to project at one side thereof for engagement by thumb nut 23. Screw stein 21 has a forked or double hook end24 adapted to secure double loops or eyes 19 thereon, each of the cutting wires being provided with similar double loops or eyes at both ends,

strain upon the wire distributed between two points of attachment at either end of the wire, thereby making a strong and durable fastening especially adaptedfor heavy work. Thumbnut 23 is used to take up the slack in the wire and cam lever 22 is employed to relieve the tension thereon when adjustment of the wires takes place, said cam levers providing for quick relief without disturbing the fixed thumbnut adjustment. Othermeans, such as an ecwhereby the axial pull or is central and equally.

centric lever 26 pivoted to a screw nut 27 for screw stem 21 may be substituted for the cam lever and thumbnut shown and described, see Fig; 11.

The operating shafts 7 are geared together for joint operation and are also constructed to be operated singly if desired. To this end, two of the four shafts have bevel gears 28 and 29' at op osite ends, and the other two, one gear eac Gear 28 is permanently keyed .or pinned to the shaft and gear 29 sleeved or free thereon but adapted to be frictionally engaged by a cone slidably keyed to the shaft and socketed in the back of said gear 29. the shaft behind said cone and serves to lock both cone and gear .29 together when power is to be transmltted from one shaft to another. It will be understood that gears 28 and 29 are in mesh at three corners of frame A and that rotation may be imparted universally to all four shafts on the four sides of the frame by rotating either one of said shafts at their angular ends 32 and by a crank or key (not shown). Such universal rotation occurs when all the gears 29 are looked upon thelr respective shafts and when simultaneous adjustment of wires 2 and 3 is desired.

Adjustment of the cutting wires at any one side of the frame is obtained by unlocking one or more of the gears 29, so that the shaft at that side may be independently rotated.

'Thus,various cross sectional shapes of the prints or blocks may be cut as predetermined by independent adjustment of the wires. 1

The central. divisional wires between the sides of frame A are fixed, or in other words, their supports 8 do not travel but are attached to the frame, and the other wires which lie parallel with said divisional wires move in or outin respect thereto. Thus, when simultaneous movement of all the wires is brought about, the wires immed1.

ately next to the divisional wires have a relatively slower feed than the extreme outer wires and in such proportionate degree that all the parallel wires maintain relatively equal distances throu hout such movement. The same result is oitainedwith substantially similar, adjusting means for wires 4 on frame B, only here the idea is carried astep .numbered from 1 u thereon but further and all the wires, three in number, are movable in a usin base plate C gradually increasing ratio as the fixed line to or from whic .they travel. This result is obtained by three sets of screw sleeves a, b and c having different pitch threads, the ratio being 24, 12 and 8. A cross shaft 6 at the top of the frame and bevel gearing 28 and 29 thereon as in frame B provide for joint operation of' vertical shafts 7 and the .screw sleeves mounted thereon.

Frame A is provided with a age-plate 33, see Fig. 5, which has the inches and fractional parts thereof marked thereon and said fractional parts are further consecutively Frame also has a gage plate 34 wit graduations marked said graduations are spaced apart in an in'creasin ratio from the bottom upward and marked rom 1 upward to corre spond with the numbers representing the fractional parts on ga e plate 33 of ame A. These two gage p ates serve as a guide to set the wires on their respective frames to out different shapes of prints without changing the cubic area of the print. Thus, let us say that the standard print containing one *pound of butter of a certain density measures 2 9-16 inches square by 4 5-16 inches long. The first step would be to setthe wires on frame A at 2 9-16inches using gage 33, and then observe the number representing that fractional part on the gage which-we will say is numeral 11 in this instance. The corresponding numeral 11' on gage 34 would therefore, be the mark to set wires 4 of frame B to means for said wires usable get the proper length of the print, that is, 4 5-16 inches. As the cross sectional area of the rint is lessened, greater length 'is re uired i area is to be retaine and thereforea sliding scale or gage 34 is required on frame B to combine with a scale or gage 33 of frame A.

WhatI claim is 1. In butter cutting machines, a frame having adjustable cutting wires and means to stretch said wires under tension upon said frame, and supplementary slackproducing during periods of adjustment. v

2. In butter cutting machines, a frame and a series of parallel wires mounted thereon having screw and cam tension members for said wires.

3. In butter cutting machines, a fr ame and cutting wires and adjustable operating means for setting said wires, and quick relief or slack producmg means for sald wlres adapted to permit adjustment of the said having setting means.

4. In butter cutting machines, a frame cutting wires adjustably supported thereon, and a gage plate having sliding scale graduations thereon for use in setting said wires to out different length prints.-

the same cubic supportin 5. In butter cutting machines, the combitively characterized, and a gage plate on said laterally movable frame having sliding scale graduations provided with characters corresponding to said other gage late.

6. In butter cutting mac 'nes, a frame and a shaft mounted thereon at each side,

gears connecting said shafts and friction mechanism fastening said gears, and mountingsfor cutting wires adjustably supported onsaidshafts. K

7. In butter cutting machines, a cutting frame and four several shafts mounted thereon and geared together at their ends forjoint operation, we supports adjustably engagedupon said shafts and extending upon opposite sides of said frame and provided on one side thereof with overhanging hooks adapted to engage over the cutting wires, and tension devices for the wires in said supports.

8. In butter cutti machines, aframe and screw shaft on the si es thereof having gear connection at their ends, two series of cutting wires at right angles to each other and means adjustably mounting said wires on said shaft 9. In butter cutting machines, a sugporting frame, shafts mounted in the si es of saldframe having gear connections at their ends, a pair of se aratbly rotatable sleeves fixed on each sha t, wire sup orts mounted 'on said sleeves, and tension evices for the double wires on said mountings having) dou le loops hooks, and said Wires having engaged on said hooks.

10. In butter cutting machines, a rigid frame, shafts on the sides of said frame havmg gear connections in the angles thereof, a

set of separate externally threaded sleeves fixed on each shaft, wire supporting mountings on said sleeves and Wire tension devices on said mountings.

1 1 In butter cutting machines, a rectangular supporting frame, a rotatable shaft on each of the four sides of said frame and a set of differentially threaded sleeves on each shaft, Wire supports mounted on said sleeves and extending across opposite sides of said frame and cutting wires mounted on said supports.

12. In butter cutting machines, a rigid screw shaft at each side rotatably mounted in said frame, a pair of difierentially threaded sleeves on each shaft, wire supports operatively engaged with the said sleeves, and cutting wires connected with oppositely disposed sup orts.

13. In utter cutting machines, a rigid frame having parallel sides, a.

frame, cutting wires thereon and fastening means for said wires comprising adjustable mountings thereforhaving double hooks for each end of the wire and said wires having double loops at each end.

14'. In butter cutting ,machines, a rigid frame, cutting wires adjustably and detachably mounted thereon, and tension means for said wires comprising a screw stem at one end of said wires having a double hook and 10 double loops on said wires engaged with said hook, and means to tighten said stem.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

FREDERIO G. HODELL. Witnesses: I

R. B. MOSER, F. O. MUSSUN. 

